1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sensor systems for vehicle seats and, more particularly, to a comprehensive and retrofittable occupant sensor suite (CROSS) for logging of accurate occupant dynamics, especially suited for logging of blast events encountered on the battlefield.
2. Description of the Background
Occupant survivability has become a top priority when designing military ground vehicles. In recent conflicts, over 4,400 casualties resulted from Improved Explosive Devices (IEDs), which account for over 60% of all casualties. Increased operational demand in areas with high IED potential has amplified the need for enhanced protection. A key element in the design of protective devices and systems is accurate battlefield data from such blast events. To date, however, there is a lack of useful battlefield data that is extracted from a blast event and usually only the size of the blast crater and number of injuries/casualties suffered is known. Due to the post-blast confusion, even occupant seating location and whether the occupant was properly restrained in the seat is often unknown. Vehicle Data Recorders (VDRs) are being implemented within some vehicles, but they only log data at the global vehicle level and do not provide information at the local occupant level. Blast overpressure and accelerations can vary significantly from one side of a vehicle to another, which current VDRs may not be able to capture. Further, VDRs cannot currently log actual loads experienced by the occupant or information such as whether the occupant was wearing seat belts, whether the seat energy absorber performed as expected, nor each occupant's seating location within the vehicle. This information is critical for forensics analysis, the modeling of occupant dynamics during blast events, and the design of protective devices.
Over the past decade, there have been significant advances in low-cost yet sophisticated electronics. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, solid-state mass storage devices, radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems, and multi-channel high performance digital signal processors (DSP) with wireless capabilities are providing highly advanced capabilities at a fraction of previous costs. What is needed is a Comprehensive and Retrofittable Occupant Sensor Suite (CROSS) that will accurately measure key information at the occupant level.